Electrical vibrator for massaging purposes.



No. 800,595. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.' L. E. RICHMOND & G. J. GRAHAM. ELECTRICAL VIBRATOR FOR MASSAGING PURPOSES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS E. RICHMOND AND CHARLES J. GRAHAM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE GRA-RICH COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRICAL VIBRATOR FOR IVIASSAGING PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 2e, 1905.

Application led October 1'7, 1904. Serial No. 228,763.

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that we, LoUIs E. RICHMOND and CHARLES J. GRAHAM,citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Vibrators for Massaging Purposes; and we do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in electrical vibrators for massaging purposes; and the improvement consists in a device constructed and arranged to operate all substantially as hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Our object is embodied in a device adapted to be held in the hand and which is provided with suitable attachments used for massaging and wherein a rapid and continuous vibrating or pulsating' effect is electrically produced and communicated to the person under treatment.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of our improved device; and Fig. 2 is a view taken on line g/ y, Fig. 1,-showing some part of the make-and-break-contact members. Fig. 3 isadiagrammatic view illustrating the electrical connections between the magnets and the make-and-break mechanism. Figs. 4 and 5 are plan elevations and sectional views, respectively, of a modified form of make-and-break contact for the magnets. Fig. 6 is a side view, partly in section, of a modified form of the device, wherein the operative stem is directly engaged by the reciprocating magnets.

The device comprises a cylindrical casing A, of aluminium or brass, provided with a handle B, which is attached to a projecting portion a at one side of said casing. The ends of the casing are closed by screw-caps a, and a detachable screw stem or connection C is secured to one of said caps, anda rubber massaging-cup Cl or other operating instrument is mounted upon the lower end of stem C. A reciprocating plunger D is confined within casing A and is of less length than said casing and free to slide therein within limits from one end to the other. Plunger D is made up of two magnets Dl and D2, having each a steel cup for a body and insulated from each other by a central liber washer or bar d. Screws CZ', entering a central brass sleeve d2, are used to .connect magnet members D and D2 together. The wire coils of the magnet members are wound and slipped in place over the central hollow hub Z3 of each member, and a brass plate or ring CZL is soldered to the outer rim of each magnet-body to confine and hold the coils in place. Each cap a is provided with a metal plate a2 opposite the ends of the magnets, and these plates may be detined as armatures for the magnet.

Vhen either of the coils is energized, the magnetic attraction between that magnet-coil and its armature-plate will bring the parts together, the magnet-plunger D being free to slide within the casing. Then if the other magnet-coil is energized a reverse action is obtained. Thus there is a back-and-forth or reciprocating action between the magnet-plunger and the casing', which is dependent upon the alternate How of the current through the magnet-coils.

The timing and regulating means for alternately causing the current to How through one magnet and then the other is automatically controlled by the movement of the magnet-plunger within the casing and comprises a rock-arm E, of fiber or other insulating material, which is pivoted within a slot in a fiber base F, attached to projection a, and which base carries on its outer face three several copper contact-plates G, H, and I, respectively. A metal contact-strip e is inserted within the outer end of rock-arm E and is flush with the rounded end of said arm, and said strip projects slightly at one side of said arm and remains in constant engagement with con tact-plate I. Contact-plates G and H are adjustably held by screws to bear upon the rounded end of rock-arm E and are held in position to engage strip e' alternately as ysaid arm is moved back and forth.

l/Vhen the magnet-plunger is in position shown in Fig. l, a circuit is established over the electrical line connections shown in diagram Fig. 3, and as represented by 2, which causes magnet-coil D2 to be energized and to change its position in respect to the casing A. As this occurs the inner projecting end e2 of rock-arm E is engaged by the inner wall of the upper magnet-body D', and said rock- IOO .E is provided between the inner walls of the magnet bodies to time the movement of make and break between the contacts and whereby a long enough flow of current throughl each coil is established to start the magnet in its travel and to give it enough impulse to obtain the desired blow or force at the end of its travel and to cause a reverse movement of the rock-arm.

The reciprocating action of the plunger is entirely automatic and continuous until the current is cut off, and any suitable switch connections may be made with the handle B or the wire connections therein to cut off the current. The length of travel of the plunger and the force of attraction of the magnets can be regulated to suit the needs of the work to be accomplished. In the present instance a rapid reciprocating movement is desired without too great a blow or shock, and the length of movement of the magnet-plunger within the casing is preferably limited to about three thirty-seconds of an inch. This provides all the necessary vibratory or pulsating effect required for massaging purposes. In the event that the invention be used for otherv purposes than that described and wherein more force or a heavier blow is desired, we prefer to employ a stem or plunger C2 directly engaged by the magnet-plunger, as shown in Fig. 6, and increase the travel and power of the magnets.

The modification shown in Figs. 4: and 5 represents contact means which are carried bodily to and fro with the magnet-plunger. Thus a pair of springs 5 and 6 are secured to the insulating-piece CZ and project through slot c f and are adapted to engage contactplates 7 and 8, respectively, which are mounted on the insulating-block F. Contact-plate 9 upon block F bears upon and has a sliding contact with projecting pin 10, secured to plunger-piece d These several contact members are connected with the magnets in like manner as those shown in diagram Fig. 3.

What we claim isl. In a massaging device, a cylindrical casing and a set of magnet-coils free to slide therein, timed make-and-break-circuit means to alternately energize said magnets, and a removable handle for said casing covering' said make-andbreak means.

2. In a massaging device, a cylindrical casing and a double magnet free to move back and forth therein, and male-and-brealr mechanism for alternately opening and closing the electrical circuit for said magnets comprising a contact-arm and contact members engaged by said arm, a handle attached to said casing, and means to detachably secure massaging members to said casing.

3. A vibrating device comprising a casing having a handle at one side, a pair of magnets free to slide back and forth in said casing, contact-arms operated by said magnets, contacts mounted on said casing and engaged by said arms, and a massaging member detachably secured to said casing at one end thereof.

4. In a massaging device, a casing and a handle therefor, a magnet-plunger reciprocally confined within said casing, timed makeand-break-contact mechanism for controlling the current to said magnets, and a massaging member secured at the end of said casing to transmit the vibrating movement produced by the reciprocal action of said plunger and casing when said device is supported by the handle.

5. In a massaging device, a cylindrical casing and removable armature-plates at its ends, a pair of connected magnets within said casing adapted to reciprocate between said plates, contacts and circuits for said magnets, and make-and-break mechanism operatively timed by the movement of said magnets, a removable cover for inclosing said contacts and mechanism, and a handle attached to said cover and a massaging member attached at one end of said casing.

6. In a massaging device, a cylindrical casing having an opening at one side and removable end caps, a magnet free to slide back and forth within said casing and having contact members projecting through said opening, a handle attached to said casing and covering said opening and contacts, and a massaging member detachably secured to one of said caps.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS E. RICHMOND. CHARLES J. GRAHAM.

Y Witnesses:

R. B. Moser., C. A. SELL.

ICO 

